This patent is directed generally to a chip collector used to collect materials generated during machining operations, and more particularly to a pneumatic chip collector used to collect materials, such as wet chips, generated during machining operations.
In the course of machining operations, scrap materials are generated. These scrap materials may be referred to generally as wet chips or wet chip material, which material includes a solid component and a fluid (lubricant) component. This scrap may be in the form of relatively small wet chips, also referred to as granular wet chips, stringy pieces of wet chips and bales of wet chip material.
Conventionally, wet chip materials are conveyed from one or more machine stations to a centrifugal separator station where the wet chip material is centrifugally separated into dry chips and fluid. This is done so that the dry chips may be reclaimed, and the fluid reclaimed or sent for disposal. Many different conveyors or methods of conveyance are known, including pneumatic transport of the wet chip material from the machine stations to the centrifugal separator.
As set forth in more detail below, the present disclosure sets forth a pneumatic chip collector embodying advantageous alternatives to prior art devices.